Amtrak/LIRR Moynihan Train Hall

Sadly, neither Alexander Cassatt nor Charles McKim lived to see the completion of Penn Station.

More favorable content today in The Times for Moynahan.

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They whistled at it, paraded in it, posed against it, and, for a few moments, forgot themselves. They came to instill civic pride in their kids and remind themselves of all that New York could be. And they left with the satisfaction that comes when your city does something monumental, and does it right.

With its soaring expanses of glass and light, the new Moynihan Train Hall, which rises behind the colonnades of the Beaux-Arts James A. Farley Building across from Penn Station, has achieved the near impossible: It has left New Yorkers, 10 months into a harrowing pandemic, feeling transported and inspired...

Sounds like something involving rail transit "for once was done right".

This is the first thing DONE RIGHT for Penn Station and the City,NOW can we get rid of the mistake known as Madison Square Garden?

Backshophoss wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:45 am NOW can we get rid of the mistake known as Madison Square Garden?

And get rid of 2 Penn while we're at it.

J.D. Lang wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:10 pm I believe all Amtrak trains have moved their boarding's to Moynihan. Beautiful station from the vids I've watched.

Amtrak says "access to and from Amtrak trains will always be maintained through New York Penn station," that is, the old concourse. https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/proj ... n-faqs.pdf

Presumably it's staffed only when Moynihan is closed, 1am to 5am. Those 3am trains were packed, I found out. "If you are traveling with a friend or family you will not be able to sit together, take the first seat, etc." Viewliner Roomettes return April 6.

I wonder if it's easier to reach the subway via the old concourse.

Made my second visit to Moynihan last week. Since my first visit about 2 weeks after opening in January, I noticed a few changes.

First, the train hall (and NYC in general) was a lot more crowded. Additional new signage in old Penn directs Amtrak passengers across the street to Moynihan. Also on the LIRR (lower) level, all the facilities for the LIRR are gone... the ticket windows, etc, with everything being consolidated at Moynihan. They still have the "connecting concourse" torn apart, but the entryway at the east end escalators is pretty nice. Up on the 7th St in front of the garden/main Penn entrance, its also still walled off. Wonder if the eagles will come back when that work is done. A lot more retail and food establishments in Penn are open again, but the "food court" area which used to house KFC/Pizza Hut is still closed.

I waited for my train mostly in the ticketed passenger waiting area, which was really nice, with old fashioned waiting room-style benches, but equipped with USB plugs down by your feet, etc. (It really makes me wonder why Amtrak spent the money/time to redo the old ticketed waiting area in Penn, knowing Moynihan would replace it). Attendants were checking passengers at the entrances and would walk around alerting you to your train's departure track before it was posted on the boards. A couple small food kiosks are now open in the train hall area, but still plenty of room to move around. The "food hall" is not yet open, with a sign saying "Fall 2021" I believe.

When it became train time, there was a good sized line that had formed, a far cry from my last visit in Jan where there were maybe 4 people in line. People are definitely traveling again, which is good news for NYC and for Amtrak. Down at track level, the train was more positioned to serve passengers coming from Moynihan. Last time it was parked further east. Seems like the train crews know now to spot the train closer to the west end, vs the east end.

My next visit will be in July, if not sooner, when I ride Acela down to DC. With assigned seating on Acela, I won't have to rush to get head of the line, with reserved seating.

Thanks for the report SJ. I'll be coming into Moynihan on a NE regional from New Haven and leaving for Chicago on the Lake Shore in a sleeper in June. Couple of questions for anyone who may know.

The Empire connector is only accessible from the lower # tracks and the LSL usually departs from tracks 5-8 which the platforms don't extend as far west as the the higher # tracks. With the sleepers on the back (east end) of the LSL I would think that it's going to be a lot longer walk from the escalators at Moynihan to the back of the train as it was from Penn.

I know that the food court isn't supposed to open until fall but is there anything open where one could get some lunch. Also wondering if they are now offering food and beverages in the first class lounge. Amtrak's website seems to indicate that they are now offering some limited items in the lounge.

Thanks

I was also there a few weeks ago

There's a Starbucks open on the north end of the train hall, and right by the escalator for 5/6 (underneath the Metropolitan Lounge) looks like there's going to be a Magnolia's opening soon.

Supposedly the lounge has food options now, but I won't be able to confirm until next week. We're going to Boston again and I got first class seats for a steal.

A ton of the food options are gone from Penn. Shake Shack, Taco Bell, Nathan's, KFC, and a few others are gone. Dunkin', Krispy Kreme, and some of the delis are still there.

I'm hoping Magnolia's is open by the time we go, I could go for a mini chocolate cheesecake.

NaugyRR wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:37 pm I was also there a few weeks ago

There's a Starbucks open on the north end of the train hall, and right by the escalator for 5/6 (underneath the Metropolitan Lounge) looks like there's going to be a Magnolia's opening soon.

Supposedly the lounge has food options now, but I won't be able to confirm until next week. We're going to Boston again and I got first class seats for a steal.

A ton of the food options are gone from Penn. Shake Shack, Taco Bell, Nathan's, KFC, and a few others are gone. Dunkin', Krispy Kreme, and some of the delis are still there.

I'm hoping Magnolia's is open by the time we go, I could go for a mini chocolate cheesecake.

Hoping Tim Horton's is still there or makes the move over.

Unfortunately Tim's is gone, which royally sucks. Grabbing a medium double-double and a cruller from there before my Empire Train home was my jam. That whole mini-food court is deserted with the gate down over it.

If you're down and had your COVID shot, bring your vaccination card with you and show it at the counter of Krispy Kreme. They have a promotion, where if you show your vaccine card, you can get one free doughnut. The promotion's good once a day for the rest of the year, and it needs to be the actual card, not a photo; my girlfriend tried with the picture on her phone and walked away minus a doughnut.

NaugyRR wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 1:46 pm Unfortunately Tim's is gone, which royally sucks. Grabbing a medium double-double and a cruller from there before my Empire Train home was my jam. That whole mini-food court is deserted with the gate down over it.

If you're down and had your COVID shot, bring your vaccination card with you and show it at the counter of Krispy Kreme. They have a promotion, where if you show your vaccine card, you can get one free doughnut. The promotion's good once a day for the rest of the year, and it needs to be the actual card, not a photo; my girlfriend tried with the picture on her phone and walked away minus a doughnut.

Yeah. I only got to go there once. Coffee wasn't bad -- for straight up coffee I'd go there over Starbucks.

Maybe this summer I'll take the trip up and wander a bit around the stations before going back down. I still got a MetroCard and I don't know how much I have on it.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:17 pm

NaugyRR wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 1:46 pm Unfortunately Tim's is gone, which royally sucks. Grabbing a medium double-double and a cruller from there before my Empire Train home was my jam. That whole mini-food court is deserted with the gate down over it.

If you're down and had your COVID shot, bring your vaccination card with you and show it at the counter of Krispy Kreme. They have a promotion, where if you show your vaccine card, you can get one free doughnut. The promotion's good once a day for the rest of the year, and it needs to be the actual card, not a photo; my girlfriend tried with the picture on her phone and walked away minus a doughnut.

Yeah. I only got to go there once. Coffee wasn't bad -- for straight up coffee I'd go there over Starbucks.
Maybe this summer I'll take the trip up and wander a bit around the stations before going back down. I still got a MetroCard and I don't know how much I have on it.

for breakfast pastry
Tim Hortons > dunkin donuts> crispy creme
coffee
Tim Hortons > starbucks >dunkin donuts

of course, in my neck of woods, Zeke's Coffee wins in both categories.

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:56 am for breakfast pastry
Tim Hortons > dunkin donuts> crispy creme
coffee
Tim Hortons > starbucks >dunkin donuts

of course, in my neck of woods, Zeke's Coffee wins in both categories.

I actually have to agree with that. I on occasion try different coffees in my Kuereg... and found Dunkin' Donuts to be "un-coffee." I swear I was *MORE* tired after drinking it.

As promised, here are photos of the food situation in the Metropolitan Lounge. They have a very nice café, and everything in it is free to lounge guests. I got a coffee, crumb cake, and a parfait. The café attendent in the lounge said to stop by before train time to grab a snack (or two) to take with us. As far as food options go, you have your standard café fare... wraps, salads, snack cups, muffins, cookies, coffee, craft sodas... it's a very nice layout, especially for being free with your lounge access.

I also caught NJT's PRR heritage unit laying over next to the track our Empire Train came in on, so enjoy that as well.

Off to Boston in about an hour!

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Here's some shots from the lounge balcony... it's super fun for people watching.

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